A study on nutrition habits and weight loss practice methods in wrestlers

• Eren Canbolat
• Funda Pınar Cakiroglu

Abstract

Today, the use of dietary supplements and unhealthy weight loss methods is becoming increasingly common, particularly among athletes who compete in weight-class sports like wrestling.

The aim of this study was to investigate the eating habits and weight cutting methods of wrestlers.

Material and methods. The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in 96 male wrestlers between the ages of 18–30 years who have been wrestling for at least 3 years. The participants’ dietary habits, fluid consumption, nutritional supplement use, pre- and post-training eating habits and weight cutting methods were collected by face-to-face interview method with a questionnaire form.

Results. Most participants (70.8%) consumed three main meals a day, but only 37.5% had one snack a day. The reasons for skipping meals were lack of time (41.8%) and lack of habit (19.0%). Among the wrestlers, 33.3% used nutritional supplements and usually due to the influence of the coach (50.0%) or their own will (46.9%). In addition, 61.5% of the athletes practiced certain weight cutting methods, and the most common methods were excessive activity (43.8%), low-calorie diet (37.5%) and sweating in sauna/ham (36.5%). Although the use of nutritional supplements and weight cutting methods was more common in wrestlers who were in the national team and had a ranking (more successful wrestlers), the differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05).

Conclusion. Since regular and balanced nutrition and the application of healthy methods of weight reduction not only maintain the health and performance of athletes, but also reduce the risk of injury, it is essential to educate athletes in terms of nutrition and health.

Keywords: wrestling; nutrition habits; nutritional supplement; weight cutting

Healthy nutrition is of great importance for athletes. Thanks to regular and balanced nutrition, it is ensured to increase performance in athletes, prevent body weight cutting or excessive body weight gain, regulate functioning of the digestive system, normalize electrolyte losses in the body and renewal of energy resources during the recovery period [1, 2]. In addition to amateur and professional sports, healthy nutrition and good use of energy balance in sports practiced for health can help to achieve greater success in sports [3]. It is widely recognized that many athletes today exhibit poor and inconsistent eating habits. In preparation for competitions, athletes often turn to low-calorie diets, inappropriate use of diuretics, nutritional supplements, anabolic steroids, and fat-burning substances [4]. The application of these methods can lead to various hormonal and psychological problems in athletes, including decreased bone mineral density, disrupted metabolic functions, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, loss of eating control, and heightened anxiety. In addition to these, it has been reported that muscle strength, function, and endurance can be decreased in athletes [5].

In martial arts sports such as wrestling, boxing and taekwondo, many athletes use different weight cutting methods to get down to their normal weight. These methods include starvation diets, inadequate fluid intake, excessive activity, sweating methods such as sauna baths, diuretic use, and vomiting [6, 7]. These behaviors are likely to have negative effects on athlete health and performance. The study has revealed that wrestlers experienced a notable reduction in both lower and upper body isometric strength during the tournament, following a 6% loss of body weight in the week leading up to the competition [8]. In another study involving 66 male wrestlers, it was observed that performance was negatively affected in those who experienced acute weight loss. E. Demirkan et al. in the study conducted on elite freestyle and grappling wrestlers participating in the national team camp, found that the athletes lost 6.2% of their weight during the camp and 5% of this loss occurred in the four days before the competition [9]. Ö. Isık et al., in their study on wrestlers, revealed that depression levels were increased in athletes who were dehydrated and lost weight before the championship [6].

In addition to wrong eating habits and inappropriate weight cutting methods, there are studies showing that athletes are insufficient in terms of nutritional knowledge. When the literature is examined, one can see that athletes are inadequate in terms of nutritional literacy [10], nutritional knowledge level [11] and use dietary supplements and sport nutrition at a high rate [12, 13]. At this point, there is a necessity to reveal the faulty behaviors of athletes and to produce solutions.

Based on this, the aim of our study was to examine the nutritional habits and weight cutting practices of wrestlers.

Material and methods

Participants

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 96 voluntary male wrestlers aged 18-30 years, who have been practicing wrestling for at least 3 years and who studied at Ondokuz Mayıs University (Yasar Dogu Sports Sciences Faculty).

The wrestlers included in the study were required to continue their active sports life without a severe injury in the last 6 months and were in the preparation period for competitions. The study’s power analysis was performed with G-Power (latest ver. 3.1.9.3: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany). Based on the findings of a previous study [14], we assumed a medium effect size (Cohen’s d=0.50), a significance level of α=0.05, and a target statistical power of 0.90. According to these parameters, the minimum required sample size was calculated to be 86 participants. Since our study included 96 male wrestlers, it exceeds this threshold and thus has sufficient statistical power to detect medium-sized differences between groups. The research was conducted following the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ondokuz Mayıs University (2016:26).

Study design

The data on the participants’ sport life, nutritional and fluid consumption habits, dietary supplement use, pre- and post-training eating habits and weight cutting application methods were obtained from the questionnaire form applied by face-to-face interview method. The researchers interviewed each wrestler individually and ensured reliable data collection.

Statistical analysis

IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 software was used to analyze the data obtained from the study. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, percentage) related to demographic data and dietary habits of wrestlers were calculated. The distributions related to the reasons for skipping meals were presented as frequency and percentage. Chi-Square Test was used to examine whether there was a relationship between two or more categorical variable groups. Statistical significance level was accepted as p<0.05.

Results

The average age of the wrestlers who participated in the study was 21.5±2.6 years and it was determined that 40.6% of them had been practicing this sport for ≥9 years, 27.1% for 4-6 years, 19.8% for 7-9 years and 12.5% for at least 3 years. Most of the athletes wrestled in the senior category (76.0%) and freestyle (63.5%). The average weight of the athletes was 80.2±15.6 kg and 53.1% of them had been in the national team at least once. 50.0% of the athletes had various degrees. Among the ranked athletes, 29.2% were champions in Turkey, 18.8% were third in Turkey, 16.7% were second in Turkey, 12.5% were first in the region, 10.4% were European champions, 6.3% were world champions, 2.1% were second in the world, 2.0% were second in Europe and 2.0% were third in Europe (Table 1).

Nutrition and fluid consumption habits of wrestlers are shown in Table 2. Accordingly, 70.8% of the athletes had 3 main meals, 28.1% had 2 main meals, 37.5% had 1 snack, 28.1% had 2 snacks, 18.8% had 3 snacks. Among the athletes who participated in the study, 15.6% did not eat snacks. The reasons for skipping meals (in the athletes who skipped meals) were identified as the lack of time (41.8%), lack of habit (19.0%), lack of appetite (19.0%), desire to lose weight (13.9%) and economic reasons (6.3%). Only 17.7% of the wrestlers did not skip meals and ate 3 main meals and 3 snacks. 59.3% of the athletes had their last meal 1-2 hours before training or competition, 31.3% had their last meal 3-4 hours before training and 6.3% had their last meal ≤30 minutes before training or competition. 46.9% of the athletes stated that they ate ≤30 minutes after training or competition, 45.8% after 1-2 hours, and 4.2% after 3-4 hours. It was found that only 3.1% of the athletes did not pay attention to the feeding times before and after training or competition. The most common types of fluids consumed by the athletes were water (76.2%), fruit juices (7.9%), sports drinks (7.9%) before training or competition; water (90.3%), mineral water (4.1%), fruit juice (2.8%) during training or competition; water (83.3%), fruit juices (4.6%), milk and buttermilk (4.6%) after training or competition.

It was found that 33.3% of the wrestlers used dietary supplements, and it was determined that they generally used them under the influence of the coach (50.0%) and their own will (46.9%). 37.5% of the athletes used nutritional supplements for >24 months, 31.3% for 7-12 months, 25.0% for 0-6 months, and 6.2% for 13-17 months. Among the reasons for use, increasing body muscle ratio (56.3%), not feeling tired (46.9%), increasing body weight (21.9%), and decreasing body fat ratio (18.8%) were shown. The most commonly used nutritional supplements among athletes were whey protein (71.9%), creatine (62.5%), glutamine (59.4%), Branched Chained Amino Acid (BCAA) (50.0%) and other nutritional supplements (12.5% caffeine, 9.5% L-carnitine, 3.1% soy protein, 3.1% casein, 3.1% conjugated linoleic acid).

Upon analyzing the weight cutting practices of athletes, it was discovered that 61.5% employed specific methods. The most prevalent techniques were excessive exercise (43.8%), low-calorie dieting (37.5%), and sweating in saunas and Turkish baths (36.5%) (Table 3).

Nutritional supplementation and weight cutting methods of wrestlers according to being in the national team and being ranked are shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2. It was determined that the athletes who used nutritional support and weight cutting methods were mostly wrestlers who were in the national team. The same is also true for athletes with a degree. Howe­ver, these results were not statistically significant (fig. 1 and 2, p>0.05).

Discussion

Sports nutrition is critical to improve athletes’ performance, prevent injuries, accelerate recovery processes, and protect their overall health. While balanced and adequate nutrition helps athletes to perform at the highest level in training and competitions, adequate intake of energy and macro/micronutrients is essential for optimal health [15]. Especially in weight class-based sports such as wrestling, athletes often resort to various weight cutting methods to stay at a certain weight. Although these methods are effective for weight cutting in the short term, they may have negative effects on health in the long term [7]. This study was conducted to examine the eating habits and weight cutting methods of male wrestlers. The mean age of the wrestlers who participated in the study was 21.5±2.6 years and most of them (60.4%) have been practicing this sport for more than 7 years. Most of the wrestlers took part in the national team (46.9%) and won various degrees (50.0%) (see Table 1).

The nutrition and fluid consumption habits of the wrestlers were analyzed in detail in Table 2. According to the results obtained, it was found that most of the wrestlers (70.8%) consumed three main meals a day, while only 37.5% had one snack a day and 15.6% had no snacks. Among the reasons for skipping meals, lack of time (41.8%), lack of habit (19.0%) and lack of appetite (19.0%) stand out. At this point, it is understood that athletes cannot maintain regular eating habits due to their intense training programs and other daily activities. In addition, the desire to lose weight (13.9%) and economic reasons (6.3%) are among the other important reasons for skipping meals. There are many studies showing that athletes skip meals [16-18]. This situation shows that athletes should pay more attention to the importance of snacks to maintain energy balance and show continuous high performance.

Eating times before and after training or competition are of great importance for athletes’ performance and recovery. At this point, current guidelines require athletes to consume appropriate nutrients 3-4 hours before and within the first 30 minutes after training or competition [19]. According to the results of the study, only 31.3% of the wrestlers had their last meal 3-4 hours before training and only 46.9% had their last meal within the first 30 minutes after training or competition (see Table 2). In this case, it can be stated that most of the wrestlers did not take their meals within the specified time periods.

The most common fluids consumed by wrestlers before, during and after training or competition were water (76.2-90.3%) and fruit juices (2.8-7.9%). According to the guidelines, it is recommended to consume water or sports drinks before training or competition, sports drinks during training or competition, and especially sports drinks afterwards [19, 20]. In this case, it is likely that wrestlers not preferring sports drinks during and after the competition may have a negative effect on their performance and recovery speed.

The data on the use of nutritional supplements by wrestlers are given in Table 3. While 33.3% of the wrestlers used nutritional supplements, it was determined that 50.0% of these athletes used these products with the influence of the coach and 46.9% of them used these products voluntarily. The duration of use of nutritional supplements was gene­rally >24 months (37.5%), 7-12 months (31.3%), and the reasons for intake were found to be increasing body muscle ratio (56.3%), not feeling tired (46.9%), increasing body weight (21.9%), and decreasing body fat ratio (18.8%). The most used nutritional supplements among athletes were whey protein (71.9%), creatine (62.5%), glutamine (59.4%), and BCAA (50.0%). A study on university athletes found that 28.9% used nutritional supplements, often influenced by their coaches or friends. These athletes indicated that their primary reasons for supplements’ intake were to gain strength and improve performance [21]. In a study conducted with professional athletes from various branches, it was determined that 49.6% of the athletes used nutritional supplements (protein powders, BCAA, glutamine) under the recommendations of coaches, friends and via the internet [22]. In the literature, it is generally reported that 40-100% of athletes use nutritional supplements [23]. The use of nutritional supplements by wrestlers is widespread, with coach influence and personal preference being at the forefront among the motivations for use. However, unconscious use of these supplements may cause adverse effects on health and negatively affect the performance of athletes. Data in the literature show that similar rates of nutritional supplement use are common in wrestlers as well as other athletes and that these supplements are preferred for performance enhancement and body composition improvement. Therefore, it is of great importance to use nutritional supplements consciously and under expert control.

While 61.5% of the wrestlers who participated in the study apply specific methods for weight cutting, 31.2% of them apply these methods sometimes. The most common methods for weight cutting were excessive activity (43.8%), low-calorie diet (37.5%), sweating in sauna and Turkish bath (36.5%) (Table 3). When the literature was examined, it was found that 62.0% of the athletes applied weight cutting methods in a study conducted with wrestlers, and the most applied methods were skipping meals, low energy intake, fluid restriction and sauna [24]. In a study conducted with sambo athletes, the most common weight cutting methods were diet, sauna, skipping meals, restricting fluid intake, excessive exercise, laxative and diuretic use [25]. It was determined that combat athletes preferred practices such as skipping meals, restricting fluid intake, and exercising with plastic clothes as rapid weight cutting methods. In addition, in this study, it was determined that muscle loss was high in athletes who applied rapid weight cutting methods [26]. The most frequently used weight cutting methods in judo athletes participating in 2020 Tokyo Olympics were dietary restrictions (97%), fluid restriction (88%), sauna (85%), excessive exercise (75%) and skipping meals (71%), while 20% of the athletes’ used diuretics and 6% used vomiting. Athletes who practiced these methods experienced negative conditions such as poor performance, tension, loss of concentration, depression, and sleep problems [27].

In this study, it was observed that the use of nutritional supplements and the application of weight cutting methods were more common in wrestlers who had been in the national team before. However, these data were not statistically significant (fig. 1 and 2). In conclusion, these findings suggest that rapid weight cutting methods are widely used in wrestling and other competitive athletes and these methods may have negative physical and psychological effects on athletes. Therefore, it is recommended that athletes should adopt healthier and sustainable weight cutting strategies to maintain their health and improve their performance. It is also observed that wrestlers and other athletes commonly use nutritional supplements for performance enhancement and body composition improvement. However, since the unconscious use of these supplements may cause negative effects on health, it is of great importance to use dietary supplements and sport products under expert control and in a conscious manner.

The study has some limitations. Firstly, the sample of the study consists of wrestlers who are studying at Yasar Dogu Sports Sciences Faculty of Ondokuz Mayıs University. This may limit the generalizability of the findings. More comprehensive results can be obtained with data from wrestlers from different geographical regions and at different levels. Secondly, the data collection method used in the study consists of face-to-face questionnaires and interviews. This method carries the risk of bias as participants may tend to give answers in accordance with social expectations. The information obtained in future research should be based on observation and evidence. Finally, the data on dietary habits and weight cutting methods in the study were based on participants’ self-reports. This may increase the risk of recall bias or misinformation. In future studies, it is recommended to use objective methods such as daily follow-up or biometric measurements to assess dietary and training habits more accurately.

Conclusion

This study examines the dietary habits and weight cutting methods of wrestlers in detail and reveals their effects on athlete health and performance. The results obtained show that although most wrestlers consume three main meals a day, the number of snacks is insufficient and the reasons for skipping meals are due to factors such as lack of time, lack of habit and lack of appetite. The fact that athletes do not pay enough attention to their nutrition before and after training and competition can negatively affect their performance and recovery processes. In this context, the importance of nutrition education should be emphasized for wrestlers to improve their performance and lead a healthy life by regulating their eating habits.

In addition, the study showed that wrestlers commonly used nutritional supplements and weight cutting methods. However, unconscious use of these supplements and methods may lead to negative effects on athlete health. The fact that athletes use nutritional supplements in line with the influence of coaches and personal preferences reveals once again the importance of using these products under expert control and consciously. It is critical for wrestlers to gain healthy and balanced eating habits, to apply appropriate weight cutting methods and to use nutritional supplements consciously to protect both their performance and general health. In this direction, it is recommended to increase nutrition education and awareness-raising activities for athletes.

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